The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

This article is about the 1974 film. For the 2003 remake with the same name, see The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003 film).

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The original movie poster
Directed by	Tobe Hooper
Written by	Kim Henkel Tobe Hooper
Produced by	Tobe Hooper Lou Peraino
Starring	Marilyn Burns Gunnar Hansen Edwin Neal Allen Danzinger Paul A. Partain Jim Siedow Teri McMinn
Music by	Wayne Bell Tobe Hooper
Distributed by	Bryanston Distributing Company New Line Cinema (1983 Re-release) Blue Dolphin
Release dates	October 1, 1974
Running time	80 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$83,532 (estimated)
Box office	$36,000,000 (US Box Office)

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American independent horror film written, directed and produced by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel. The film features Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen, Edwin Neal and Paul A. Partain. The plot revolves primarily around a group of friends who embark on a road trip in rural Texas, only to fall victim to a family of cannibals, including the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface.

Hooper produced the film on a relatively small budget of $83,532 and grossed $30 million at the box office in the United States — making it one of the most profitable independent films in cinema history. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was strongly criticized at the time of its release for its graphic content by critics, which led to the film being banned by various countries. However, first time viewers of the film may be surprised that the film contains little graphic violence or gore. While it is not the first of its specific genre, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has become a classic film, and influenced subsequent films in the sub-genre and has become a well-recognized icon of the horror genre, with parodies and references throughout popular culture. The film has since spawned three sequels, with another sequel that's still in development hell, and a remake, with its own prequel.

Tagline:

• Who Will Survive, And What Will Be Left of Them?

Plot

Bickering siblings Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns) and wheelchair-bound Franklin (Paul A. Partain) visit their grandfather's grave in a cemetery in rural Texas with their companions, Sally's boyfriend Jerry (Allen Danziger), his friend Kirk (William Vail), and Kirk's girlfriend Pam (Teri McMinn) after hearing that the graveyard has been vandalized and graves have been robbed. While driving to the Hardestys' now-deserted former house they pick up an odd-looking hitchhiker who talks and acts strangely, cuts his own hand, and finally cuts Franklin on the arm. They kick him out of the van, and as they drive away he smears blood on the side.

Running low on gas, the group pull into a gas station/barbecue, but the owner says that they won't have any fuel until later that afternoon. Upon learning where the teens are going, the owner advises them against going there. The group finally arrives at the Hardesty farm. Following Franklin's directions to a childhood swimming hole, Kirk and Pam set off to find it while the others stay at the old house. Finding the swimming hole dried up, Kirk and Pam hear the sound of a gas-powered generator which attracts them to another farmhouse nearby. They find a camouflaged junkyard of vehicles next to the house. Hoping to buy some gas, Kirk knocks on the door and eventually goes inside. Suddenly he is attacked by a huge man, Leatherface (played by Gunnar Hansen), who hits him with a sledgehammer. Pam then enters searching for Kirk, but also falls prey to Leatherface, who hangs her on a meat hook while he disposes of Kirk.

As night approaches, Sally, Franklin and Jerry become concerned, so Jerry goes to search for Pam and Kirk. He finds Pam, who is barely alive, but is attacked and killed himself by Leatherface. As night falls, Sally and Franklin decide to search as well. Their cries attract Leatherface, who bursts upon them and attacks Franklin with a chainsaw, repeatedly driving it through his body. Sally flees through a forest, cutting herself on branches before finding the house. She enters it, but after discovering that the house belongs to Leatherface and finds him blocking the exit, escapes by leaping out a window. With the maniac relentlessly pursuing her, Sally runs all the way back to the gas station. On arrival, Leatherface apparently disappears while she appeals to the gas station owner for help. He tells her he will help but then returns with rope and a burlap sack, subdues her and bundles her into his truck. This character, known only as the "Old Man", is now revealed to be Leatherface's brother. He takes her straight back to the farmhouse, reaching the driveway at the same time as the hitchhiker, who is Leatherface's other brother.

Sally is taken into the house and tied to a chair. When they remove the sack, she and the hitchhiker recognise each other, and he immediately taunts her. He and Leatherface then bring down the withered figure of "Grandpa" (John Dugan) from the upstairs bedroom, slicing open Sally's finger so he can suck the blood from it — she then passes out. She awakens to find herself in a horrific dinner scene where the true extent of their insanity is revealed. The hitchhiker repeatedly exclaims that the Old Man is just the "cook," and complains that he and Leatherface handle all the killing. The scene ends with the brothers trying to assist Grandpa in killing the girl, who they have untied to bring her to the other end of the table. Grandpa repeatedly drops the hammer yet still manages to give Sally a head wound with assistance from Leatherface. A family argument then erupts that gives Sally the opportunity to escape by jumping out the window.

Outside, dawn has arrived. Sally flees the house and attempts to escape onto the highway. The knife-wielding hitchhiker and the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface give chase. Just as the hitchhiker reaches her and begins slashing at Sally, an eighteen wheeler truck suddenly appears. The hitchhiker is struck and killed. The truck driver stops and gets out, only to find Sally being chased at close quarters by Leatherface. As she and the driver climb into the truck, Leatherface attacks the vehicle with the chainsaw. Escaping through the other side of the cab, the driver throws a large wrench at Leatherface which hits him in the head, knocking him down and causing him to cut his right leg. The truck driver flees down the road. As Leatherface rises to his feet and limps after Sally, a pickup truck arrives on the scene. Sally manages to hop in the back of the truck and it drives away. Frustrated, Leatherface spins around and around in the middle of the road, waving the chainsaw. The film ends with Sally laughing in hysterics at Leatherface as the truck drives away.

Production

Concept

Hooper has said that the idea for featuring a chainsaw in a horror film came to him while in the hardware section of a crowded store, as he imagined a way to get out quickly through the crowd.The concept for the film arose in the early 1970s while he was a college professor and documentary cameraman in his native Austin, Texas.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was loosely based on the murders committed by 1950s serial killer Ed Gein, who served as the inspiration for two other horror films, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) and Jonathan Demme's The Silence of the Lambs (1991).

Financing

The film was distributed and produced through Bryanston Distributing Company. Most of the financing for this film came from the profits of the hugely successful Deep Throat (1972), a previous adult film the production company had financed. An estimated $83,532(USD) was raised.

Props

Most of the props were acquired legally from the location. Hooper also claims the human skeleton in the house at the end of the film was a real human skeleton. They used a real one because a human skeleton from India is far cheaper than a fake plastic skeleton.

Locations

Scenes were filmed on location in Texas; the gas-station scenes were filmed in the rural town of Bastrop, which is located about thirty miles southeast of Austin, while the cemetery scenes were filmed in Leander. Some scenes were also filmed in Austin.

The House

Since the film's release, the location used as the Sawyer family house has changed completely. It is now an open field, with no indication there ever was a house there. The actual house itself has been relocated and is currently used as a restaurant in Kingsland, Texas called The Junction House .

Special Effects

Special effects were fairly simple and likewise limited by the budget. The blood shown was often real, as the cast members were accidentally harmed during filming. For example, Marilyn Burns index finger was actually cut with a razor because there were difficulties getting the fake blood to come out of the tube behind the blade. Burns' costume was so drenched in fake blood that it was virtually solid on the last day of the shoot.

Filming

Filming took place between July and August of 1973, under the working title Stalking Leatherface, and budget limitations caused the shoot to be in strict chronological order. The small budget led Hooper to shoot with 16mm Ektachrome. The completed film ultimately benefited from the decision, as many fans and critical film historians claim the gritty look gives the film a "documentary-style feel," something resembling an exploitation film.[citation needed]

Distribution Difficulties

Upon the completion of post-production, Bryanston Distributing Company found it difficult to secure a distributor willing to market the film because of its graphic content.

Cast

Many of the cast members had little or no acting credits whatsoever prior to being cast. They consisted of actors native to or living in Texas who had previous roles in commercials, television shows and stage, as well as acquaintances of Hooper. Involvement in the film propelled many cast members into the motion picture industry. The lead role of Sally went to the then-unknown Marilyn Burns. Burns previously had appeared on stage, and while attending the University of Texas at Austin, she joined its film commission board. For the role of Leatherface, Icelandic-American actor Gunnar Hansen was cast. In preparation for his role, Hansen decided that Leatherface was mentally retarded and never learned to talk properly, so he went to a school for the mentally challenged and watched how they moved and listened to them talk to get a feel for the character.

Reception and release

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre premiered on October 1, 1974 in Austin, Texas, almost a year after it was actually filmed. Nationally, it was shown as a Saturday afternoon matinée film and attracted an audience consisting of pre-teens and adolescents, but found success with a broader audience after it was falsely marketed as being a "true story".

Rating

Interestingly, Hooper reportedly hoped the complete uncut print of the film would be given a PG rating by the MPAA. It wasn't. The film was released uncensored by the MPAA film rating system and with an R rating.

Critical Response

The film earned a major reaction in later weeks by word of mouth. TV Guide called it "An intelligent, absorbing, and deeply disturbing horror film that is nearly bloodless in its depiction of violence" and Empire Magazine called it "The most purely horrifying horror movie ever made". Mike Emery of the Austin Chronicle called it "Horrifying, yet engrossing... But the worst part about this vision is that despite its sensational aspects, it never seems too far from what could be the truth." and Chicago Reader said "the picture gets to you more through its intensity than its craft, but Hooper does have a talent." Several reviewers disliked the film's gory special effects. Critic Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun-Times believed that it was well-acted, well-directed and effective; but claimed it became too gratuitously violent and seemed "weird" in parts. Steve Crum of Dispatch-Tribune Newspapers criticises it as "Cultish trash that set new low standards for brutality" .

More recently however, critics have called it one of the scariest movies ever made. Rob Gonsalves of eFilmCritic.com refers to the film as "a masterpiece", and hails it as "The Great American Horror Movie" . Noted reviewer Rex Reed called it "The most terrifying motion picture I have ever seen." Horror novelist Stephen King considers it "Cataclysmic terror", and states "I would happily testify to its redeeming social merit in any court in the country." .

Overall critical opinion of the film is highly favorable, with a rating of 89% on the aggregate movie review website RottenTomatoes.com (a relatively high score, especially for a horror film), and a respectable 7.4/10 at IMDb.com.

Financial Success

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre grossed an estimated $30 million in the United States, making it one of the most successful independent films, until being overtaken by John Carpenter's Halloween (1978). It was translated into more than 25 languages and released across Europe, Canada and, because of controversy, not until 1982 in Australia.

Recognition and Accolades

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has received an array of rankings by magazines, television programmes and countdowns.

• The film was voted the greatest horror movie of all time on Total Film's list of the 50 Greatest Horror Movies of All Time.
• Ranked on Empire Magazine's 50 Greatest Horror Movies of All Time and #46 on the 50 Greatest Independent Films.
• Listed in Premiere Magazine's Top 10 Horror Films of All Time.
• Voted the second scariest film of all time by Entertainment Weekly's list of the 25 Scariest Movies of All Time
• Ranked at #5 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments.
• It was additionally featured on Time Magazine's list of the Top 25 Scariest Movies of All Time and on Premiere Magazine's list of the 25 Most Shocking Moments in Movie History.
• Channel 4 placed it at #8 in their 2003 poll The 100 Greatest Scary Moments.
• Village Voice named it one to the '100 Best Films of the 20th century' in 2000, placing it at number 83.
• Premiere Magazine's 100 Most Daring Movies Ever Made.

All full list of accolades can be found here [[2]].

Public Reaction and Bans

The film was allegedly so effective and horrifying that people walked out of sneak previews. The movie was also banned or delayed in many countries, and where it was released, it was frequently edited. It was not released in Australia until the early 1980s, but it was never banned there. It was banned in the United Kingdom largely on the authority of then-BBFC secretary James Ferman, but saw a limited cinema release thanks to various city councils. Censors attempted to cut it for the purposes of a wider release in 1977 but were unsuccessful.

The film became infamous in Sweden after scenes from the movie were shown on the debate show Studio S, causing a moral panic. People wanted the film to be banned and censored. This came at the same time that more people got home video players. People said that with VHS players you couldn't control which movies children could see, which resulted in people wanting The Texas Chain Saw Massacre to be banned. Actually, the Studio S show only caused more people to go out and see the movie instead of the reaction they had wanted.

It was released on videotape and CED disc in the 1980s by Wizard Video and Vestron Video, but was again banned in the United Kingdom in 1984, during the moral panic surrounding video nasties. In 1999, after the retirement of Ferman, the BBFC passed the movie uncut on cinema and video, with the 18 certificate, almost 25 years after its original release.

Influence

• The documentary feel has helped with the film’s success. The film opened to a large amount of controversy, but despite this, it became a smash hit in the United States. The film is also considered an innovator of the genre, pre-dating Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980), and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). It has received much praise from critics, mainly because its gritty and unsettling background that made it seem real.

• The Museum of Modern Art was sent a print of the film for their collection. Because the print was never returned to the sender, the museum cites the work as worthy enough to be among its collection.

• At Universal Orlando's and Universal Studios Hollywood's Halloween Horror Nights 2007 there were Haunted Houses based on the film included titled The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Flesh Wounds and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Back In Business

Adaptations

Main articles: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (video game) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (comics)

The cover to Leatherface #1, the first in a series of comics based on the film series

Shortly after The Texas Chain Saw Massacre established itself as a success on home video in 1982, a mass market video game adaptation was released for the Atari 2600 by Wizard Video. In the game, the player takes on the role of the movie's chainsaw-wielding villain Leatherface and attempts to murder trespassers while avoiding obstacles such as fences and cow skulls. As one of the first horror-themed video games, Texas Chainsaw Massacre caused a great deal of controversy when it was released, and sold poorly due to many game stores refusing to carry it. Wizard Video's other commercial release, Halloween, had a similar reception, and the limited number of copies sold have made them both highly valued items amongst Atari collectors.

In addition, several comic books based on the franchise were made in 1991 by Northstar Comics entitled Leatherface. They were licenced the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise to Avatar Press for use in new comic book stories, the first of which was published in 2005. In 2006, Avatar Press lost the license to DC Comics imprint, Wildstorm, who have since begun publishing new stories based on the franchise. The series of comics feature none of the main characters seen in the original film (exempting Topps Comics Jason vs. Leatherface series) with the exception of Leatherface, however the 1991 "Leatherface" miniseries was loosely based on the third Texas Chainsaw Massacre film. Said writer Mort Castle, "The series was very loosely based on Texas Chainsaw Massacre III. I worked from the original script by David Schow and the heavily edited theatrical release of director Jeff Burr, but had more or less free rein to write the story the way it should have been told. The first issue sold 30,000 copies." Kirk Jarvinen drew the first issue, and Guy Burwell finished the rest of the series. The comics, not having the same restrictions from the MPAA, had much more gore than the finished film. The ending, as well as the fates of several characters, was also altered. An adaptation of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was planned by Northstar Comics, but never pulled through.

Additional films

Main article: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (film series)

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre spawned three direct sequels, with a film still in development, and a remake with its own prequel. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 (1986), the long awaited sequel picks up where the predecessor left off, and is the only sequel to be directed by Hooper. It centers around the same family of cannibals, with the exception of "The Hitchhiker", who is replaced by his similar-looking brother, "Chop Top", who was away in Vietnam for the first film. Despite changing several aspects of the original film and sequel, the third film, Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990), is often considered the best sequel in the series, but only in its uncut version which was released on Laserdisc in the late 1990's and the DVD format in 2003. The fourth sequel, called Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation was released in 1995 and featured Renée Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey. A fifth sequel called All American Massacre was made by Tobe Hooper's son but was never finished. Topping out at a short twenty minutes, it revolves around Chop Top instead of Leatherface. The 2003 remake spawned a prequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006), which became a moderate success; however it bears no relation to the original, simply being a prequel to the 2003 remake. It is said that there will be another movie scheduled for 2009 but nothing has been made final.

Notes

• The opening narration was done by future Night Court star John Laroquette.
• It reportedly took 27 hours to film the famous dinner scene.
• Marilyn Burns was actually cut and bruised many times during the chase scenes.
• The saw was a 1970s Poulan 306A that had a piece of tape over the nameplate.
• The film's earlier titles were: Headcheese, Leatherface, and Stalking Leatherface. Marilyn Burns said in an interview that another proposed title of the movie was Scum of the Earth, but she had not wanted to be in a movie by that name.
• Poor financing resulted in incredibly miserable working conditions for the cast. A documentary, "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: A Family Portrait" is a collection of interviews with the entire "family" shot decades after the film's initial release. It offers a great deal of insight into the production of the film, and many anecdotes about the often unsavory experiences of shooting the film are shared.
• In the opening titles of Taxi_driver the taxi goes past a movie theatre where Texas Chainsaw Massacre is played

External links

• Texas Chain Saw Massacre at IMDb
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: A Visit to the Film Locations
• The Junction House - The restaurant now operating in the original house from the film